1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to ejector mechanism for use with memory card connectors, especially to separate different pushing blocks adapted to be attached to the actuation bar of such ejector mechanism for the convenience of operation under different situation.
2. The Prior Art
Memory card connectors are popularly used in the recent computer industry. Most memory card connectors are arranged with ejector mechanism for the convenience of withdrawal of the inserted memory cards, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,810,200, 4,843,221, 4,952,161, 5,011,420, 5,026,296, 5,033,972, 5,051,101, 5,139,435, 5,145,389, 5,149,276, 5,152,697, 5,161,989, 5,197,894, 5,286,207, 5,286,214, 5,299,946, 5,304,070, 5,316,488, 5,324,204, and 5,330,363. Moreover, some of such designs provide their ejector mechanism with spring devices for helping the moveable actuation bar in a steady ready-position regardless of whether the memory card is inserted in the memory card connector. The spring devices used with memory card connectors, can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,810,200, 4,810,203, 4,904,852, 4,952,161, 4,961,710, 4,984,994, and 5,026,296.
Most traditional ejector mechanism with an integral elongated actuation or ejector bar has an exposed operation tip at its longitudinal outermost end for the convenience of operatively pushing thereagainst forwardly so that the memory card which is inserted within the memory card connector can be rejected therefrom via a lever function. Unfortunately, in some situations which are restrained by the customer's requirements and/or the structure limitation, the actuation position with the actuation bar may be altered from the front tip of the actuation bar which is aligned with a lengthwise axis of the actuation bar, to another position which is adjacent to the actuation bar in an above or aside position, even though the actuation force is still operated in a front-to-end direction. Most conventional memory card connectors each of which has only one pushing button at its outermost ends along its lengthwise axis, can not efficiently meet this operation requirement.
Other problems are found that the integral plastic actuation bar takes too much space with regard to the whole plane dimension of the connector set, thus influencing the layout of the circuit design of the PC board on which the memory card connector is mounted. In contrast, reducing the dimension of such actuation bar may be helpful for such circuit design on the board, but may jeopardize the strength of the actuation bar. In addition, if the spring function of the actuation bar is asked by the customer, the structure of the whole actuation bar may often be redesigned in an significant manner, that increases the whole cost.
Therefore, one of the object of this invention is to provide a universal structure of the ejector mechanism adapted to attach different pushing blocks thereto for the convenience of actuating such actuation bar from different originate positions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal type ejector bar which can be not only movably positionable of the insulative housing of the memory card connector, but also easily loaded with a spring for achieving a recovery condition regardless of whether any memory card is inserted within the memory card connector.